I got to meet Joe....

You see...I had seen a large scale goat skull at the Oklahoma Arts Festival this past year. Like a magnet, I was drawn in by it. I wanted to meet the artist but he was nowhere to be found.
I thought oh well...maybe someday.

As you will see later on the blog....(months later) Heading home from Synder, Tx., I took a random road up north towards my home in Oklahoma.
I drove through a small town in Albany, Texas where at the entrance of the town was a bg cow skull. It was made in the same way I had seen the goat skull in Oklahoma City.

I thought...the artist must be around here somewhere and I wanted to meet him.

I found the Old Jail Art Center and saw his display. A lovely lady named Betty, told me Joe Barrington's studio was just down the street. I WAS GETTING CLOSER.....

I drove down the main street of this small town, and found his studio. It was so cool inside, but it was locked and no one was there. I thought...oh well...maybe someday.

I continued to drive north until I drove through a town called Throckmorton, Texas.
There in the small town, I saw a big baseball cap with a fish-hook on it. It was on display outside of a big brick building. There was a mural painted on the outside of a beautiful, dark woman dressed as if she lived on an island. The whole place was too cool and I had to stop. As I sat in my car...I thought...do I go in, could this be where this artist is, will I be intruding if I just stop by?
I found myself opening my car door and walking up to the front of the building. No stopping now.
I knocked on the door and J.J. his wife answered. I explained why I was there. She smiled and said come right on in.....Joe is working in his workshop. She walked me through their house to meet Joe. There he was, welding on a little boy he was creating.
Tall guy, rugged looking, long grey hair in a pony tail. He and his wife were very nice and welcoming. We got to visit and I told him my story in trying to meet him.
I later ask myself why am I so drawn to his art.
For now...I think I am drawn to his art because it is unconventional. He uses all kinds of ways, different kinds of objects, and medium, to eventually create the one vision in his mind. His work is large scale...and I like certain large scale pieces of art. The experience opened my whole mind as to what can be used to create a piece of art. Joe's house on the outside and inside is the same way. He told me that the building that he and his wife lived in as their home used to be a car dealership. The interiors of the dealership they made the interior of their home. Furniture, light fixtures, bar, shelves, dining room table were all created in ways one would not quite imagine, yet it worked. It was all very very cool!

They were both so very nice and easy to be around. I hope to meet them again soon.